Colombia and the United Nations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  | |
| United Nations membership | |
|---|---|
| Membership | Full member |
| Since | 5 November 1945 |
| UNSC seat | Non-permanent |
| Permanent representative | Leonor Zalabata |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of Colombia |
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Colombia is one of the 51 founding members of the United Nations having signed the United Nations Conference on International Organization in 1945.[1]
Colombia has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for seven terms (a total of 14 years), with the most recent being the 2011–12 term.
Colombia is a charter member of the United Nations and participates in all of its specialised agencies. Colombia has contributed 10 troops to United Nations peacekeeping efforts as of 2024[update].[2]
Colombia participates in the Latin American and Caribbean Group regional grouping. It is also part of the South America geographical subregion.[3]
Activities
Funding
The regular budget of the United Nations is financed through compulsory contributions from its member states. From 2022 to 2024, Colombia contributed 0.288% of the UN regular budget. This placed Colombia as the 42nd nation by contribution amount.[4]
Security Council
Colombia has held a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council seven times since its entry in 1945.[5]
| Election | Votes (Pl.-Rd.) | Term |
|---|---|---|
| November 1946 | 51/54 (1st-R1) | 1947–48 |
| 1952 | 58/60 (1st-R1) | 1953–54 |
| 1956 | 73/77 (1st-R1) | 1957–58 |
| 1968 | 118/126 (3rd-R1) | 1969–70 |
| 1988 | 154/157 (1st-R1) | 1989–90 |
| 2000 | 168/173 (1st-R1) | 2001–02 |
| 2010 | 186/186 (1st-GR1) | 2011–12 |
Peacekeeping
As of September 2025[update], Colombia participates in three peacekeeping missions led by the UN.[6]
| Region | Mission | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
 Western Sahara | United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) | 1 |
 Central African Republic | United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) | 2 |
 Lebanon | United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) | 1 |
Positions held
Colombia has had one President of the United Nations General Assembly in Indalecio Liévano, who served in 1978. Eleven Colombian representatives have served as President of the United Nations Security Council and two Colombian representatives have headed the Economic and Social Council. The nation has served on the United Nations Credentials Committee five times.[7][8][9]
There have been no Colombian permanent judges of the International Court of Justice.[10] However, two Colombian judges have served on the court on an ad hoc basis.[11]
Colombia has never held the Secretary-General of the United Nations or Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations positions.[12]
| Position | Person | Term |
|---|---|---|
| President of the United Nations General Assembly | Indalecio Liévano | 1978 |
| Presidency of the United Nations Security Council | Alfonso López Pumarejo | May 1947, April 1948 |
| Francisco José Urrutia Holguín | September 1953, September 1954, August-September 1957 | |
| Alfonso Araújo Gaviria | July 1958 | |
| Joaquín Vallejo Arbeláez | March 1970 | |
| Enrique Peñalosa Camargo | December 1989 | |
| Guillermo Fernández de Soto | August 2001 | |
| Alfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento | August 2001, December 2002 | |
| Carolina Barco | December 2002 | |
| Juan Manuel Santos | April 2011 | |
| Néstor Osorio Londoño | April 2011, July 2012 | |
| Leonor Zalabata | June 2026 | |
| President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council | Alfonso Patiño Rosselli | 1963 |
| Néstor Osorio Londoño | 2013 | |
| Judges sitting ad hoc on the International Court of Justice | José Joaquin Caicedo Castilla | 1949-1951 |
| Francisco Urrutia Holguin | 1958-1960 | |
| United Nations Credentials Committee | — | 1955, 1971, 1983, 1989, 2013 |
Permanent representative
Colombia has a mission to the UN led by a permanent representative, also known as a UN Ambassador. The position is currently held by Leonor Zalabata Torres, who presented credentials in October 2022.[13]
